The 2026 Pastor Nominating Committee has been prayerfully selected to lead Southport Presbyterian Church in the search for our next pastor. This dedicated group will guide the process with care, discernment, and faith as they listen for God’s direction and seek the individual called to serve our congregation in this next chapter.
Paul Aswell
Meg and I moved to Southport permanently in 2020 as I retired from civilian service in the Pentagon, responsible for U.S. Army accession programs and policy. Born and raised in New Orleans, I was commissioned in 1978 from the Army ROTC program at Louisiana State University. I retired from uniformed service in the Army as a Colonel in 2010 after 31 years. I served throughout the world during my Army career, including service in Iraq. Meg and I have four children, three adult daughters in civilian life and son, Colonel Andrew Aswell, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer. Meg and I joined SPC in 2020.
Ellett Bates
I run a small IT consulting company, and my family and I moved to Southport from Atlanta. In 2024, we joined SPC and quickly found it to be a great fit for our family. We were drawn in by the children’s ministry. Our daughter, who was four years old at the time, settled in right away – she especially loved getting to ring the chimes, be part of the Sunday morning activities, the Christmas programs, and vacation bible school in the summer. It didn’t take long for us to feel connected. SPC has been a genuinely welcoming and caring community and we’re grateful to be part of it.
Cathy Batts
I am a retired school teacher, counselor and administrator. I’m the proud mother of two adult daughters and grandmother to five grandchildren. As the wife of Presbyterian minister, Sid Batts, I have been deeply blessed by being a member in five other Presbyterian USA Churches. I have taught Sunday School, lead Women of the Church Circle lessons and served on various committees. I have been a member here at SPC since 2021 and have served the past three years on the Missions Committee.’
Mike Byers
I am a semi-retired Accountant and Budget Director. I still work part-time as a bookkeeper at a local church in Oak Island. My wife Denise and I moved to Southport from Southeastern PA in 2017. We have 5 children and 10 grandchildren. They live in Wilmington, NC. Delaware, New Jersey, and Germany. We were both lifelong Methodists prior to moving here, but after visiting several churches, we decided to join SPC in 2020. It has been a very welcoming and friendly church. I am also a member of the SPC Finance Committee and the Southport Lions Club. Denise is involved in several volunteer activities in the local community.
Bob Dziuban
My wife Nora and I retired and moved to Southport in 2019, after living in Northern Virginia/Washington DC all our lives. Previously I was a high school science teacher for 10 years, and then a director of various non-profit trade associations and professional societies for 35 years. Our three married sons are scattered from Durham to Washington DC to Boston, along with our daughters-in-law and our 3 (soon to be 4) grandchildren. My volunteer time is given to the SOIICF Food Pantry, the Brunswick County Teen Court program, and as editor of Cat-Tales, the St. James community’s monthly magazine. We joined SPC in early 2019.
Gail Hedgecock
In the late 1980’s, the Hedgecock family moved to Whiteville, NC and began attending, serving, and joined First Presbyterian Church, a change from the United Church of Christ churches of prior years. After retirement, Rick and I moved to Oak Island and joined Southport Presbyterian Church (2016) and continued our faith journey. When asked to join the PNC, I took time to reflect on my faith journey and the impact of the closeness and support of the church family of SPC. I am honored to represent this congregation.
Emily Mehlenbacher
Hi, I’m Emily! My family and I moved to the coast in 2023 from my hometown of Clayton, NC, and we are loving raising our three kids—Dakota (8), Lincoln (6), and Savannah (4)—at the beach. I previously taught middle school for seven years and now I help people find homes at the beach as a realtor. We joined SPC in 2023, which is especially meaningful as it’s the first church where I’ve been a member.
Heather Merrow
Heather was born and raised Roman Catholic in central Pennsylvania. After completing her education at Saint Francis University (PA), she landed in Southport in 2003 with her husband Andy. After starting a family, she was drawn to SPC due to the strong, positive energy to continue her children’s religious journeys. They joined SPC in 2018, and Heather joined the Baker’s Dozen. She is a physician assistant that has operated her own local primary care/aesthetics clinic for nearly 20 years. She enjoys spending time outdoors at the beach and at her children’s sporting and academic events.
Gayle Mitchell
Chad and I are parents of 2 wonderful daughters, 2 terrific sons in-law, and now 4 cherished, grown-up granddaughters. We retired to St. James in 2005, and became very involved with their “little Chapel in the Woods” ever since. After “church shopping” in Southport for quite sometime, we attended SPC, heard Ann Jahnes preach, and when I saw a friend in the choir, I knew we were “home”. I sang in the choir and was a deacon at my former United Church of Christ church in Massachusetts. Here I have been honored to help find Dr. Sam McGregor on the Interim Search Committee, and now hope to follow God’s lead in discerning our new pastor. Gayle and Chad joined the church in 2016.
